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Facing a trial and a multi-angle video of MPs fatally shooting a man holding a knife, Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villaneuva said Friday night he had “serious concerns” about the death.
David Ordaz Jr. was gunned down by lawmakers on March 14 outside his family’s home in East Los Angeles. Her family posted video of the incident on their cell phone when they announced their lawsuit against Los Angeles County and four lawmakers on Thursday.
The lawsuit says Ordaz was “not in his right mind” when his sister called 911 for help and to report that he had “a regular kitchen knife” and was taking food. methamphetamine and was suicidal. The deputies “used unjustifiable force” to cause the death of the 34-year-old man, according to the lawsuit.
He claims a wrongful death and a violation of California civil rights, which protect those targeted for violence because of a “medical condition.”
Four deputies “carelessly managed, maintained, operated, controlled and supervised” the incident, he said.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department released deputy body camera video of the incident on Friday and Villanueva said one of the law enforcement officers involved had been removed from duty.
“I want to make it clear that I have serious concerns about this shooting involving an MP,” said the sheriff.
The shooting is the subject of an investigation both internally and by the public prosecutor. The sheriff said he would share the results of the investigation with the FBI.
The union of deputies, the Association of Deputy Sheriffs of Los Angeles, did not immediately return a request for comment on Saturday.
The confrontation began when Hilda Pedroza called 911 and asked her “if you could guide me on what I could do to help” her brother, according to the sheriff’s video.
In a statement released Friday, Gabriela Hernandez said her brother “had reached an emotional low point. In desperation, we called 911.”
According to the sheriff’s video, deputies were dispatched with a mental assessment team. Before the shooting, deputies at the scene again asked the mental assessment team, according to the sheriff’s video.
The deputies got Ordaz out of a parked car and tried to convince him to drop the knife. At one point, a deputy suggested less deadly shells be deployed and someone opened fire, apparently with a “stun bag,” according to the sheriff’s video.
After being beaten, Ordaz is seen in the video of the sheriff stumbling towards MPs and family members. Shots were fired and he can be seen falling to the ground in a fetal position with his back turned to the officers.
The shots continued after Ordaz was on the ground, and at least 12 shots in total were fired, according to a report from the county coroner provided by the family’s legal representative, law firm Alan A. Ahdoot.
The lawsuit said Ordaz had been “hit by non-lethal bullets, turned to flee on the sidewalk and did not launch himself at the sheriff’s deputies. In fact, the coroner’s report shows that all but two of the bullets hit him in the back.
Villanueva has been criticized for previous comments after MPs kill civilians and criticized for responding to decades of reporting on MPs who formed law enforcement gangs.
It is not known why the ministry withheld video of the incident from March until Friday. He described the publication as part of his “Promise of Transparency” program.
“Our hearts are with his family and loved ones,” Villanueva said in his statement on Friday.
He also said that Ordaz was “under the influence of drugs and wanted to kill himself by a cop.”
The department said Ordaz was convicted of drug possession and drunk driving.
His daughter, Emily Ordaz, said in a statement on Friday: “I wish I could tell him how great a father he was. I wish I could tell him that we are all human, that it is normal to fight against depression and anxiety, that there is nothing wrong with fighting addiction. “
“Unfortunately,” she said, “law enforcement doesn’t see him as I do. Instead, they used my father’s mental illness on him, they made it sound like he deserved to be killed. “
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